Is there a difference? CRT vs. CRT

At the November 16 board meeting, a presentation will be given by Helen Grant, now "Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer." On the title page for the presentation appears "Formerly known as the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Inclusion." Does the board know about that change?

That change must be new. The District's website hasn't even been updated yet. On 11/12/2021 at 4:48PM it still reads

Dr. Helen Nelson Grant

Chief Diversity and Multicultural Inclusion Officer

This presentation should be "interesting", since the words "diversity, equity and inclusion" are key components of critical race theory. 

The title of her presentation is "The Difference Between Critical Race Theory and Culturally Relevant Teaching."

Her dog-and-pony show consists of 28 PowerPoint pages. You can see and study them on the agenda for the November 16 board meeting. Go to the agenda and scroll down on the left side to Item 10.5 "Update: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion" When you find that, click on it. The PowerPoint presentation will open up.

Be sure to look at them carefully.

I spoke with a teacher this week who attended the In-Service Training that was provided to Richland 2 staff. I was told that my blog (this one) was 100% accurate. And that teachers are afraid to speak up. 

Of course, they are. If they express a different opinion to the "right way to think", they put their jobs and future at risk. And they know it. 

The board meeting will be eight hours long if Mrs. Grant reads every word on every page. Almost every professional presenter knows that you never prepare this type of presentation with page after page of narrative. You use bullet-points and then tell your story.

But the "show" Tuesday night must be told exactly right. If she gets off-script and trustees interrupt with questions, the temperature will drop 40º. Bring your parkas and mittens.

"The core idea (of Critical Race Theory) is that racism is a social construct..." PowerPoint 11.slide.

"The construct of race ..." / STAMPED, by Reynolds & Kendi, Inside front dust cover.

On the second slide is mentioned "culturally relevant pedagogy". That is a pet program of Gloria Boutte of the University of South Carolina. The Board was treated to an explanation of that exact program on March 26, 2019. Richland 2 implemented and has been using Boutte's program. That was the meeting when then-Board member Jamie Shadd said something about how young black men just talk loudly. Also at the meeting Board member James Manning reluctantly rose to the defense of white teachers.

Keywords on Slide 2: "...intentional focus on providing an equitable education for all of our students."

Let's hope the board stops Mrs. Grant after about five minutes and starts peppering her with direct questions. Don't let her waste 50+ minutes of time speed-reading her slides.

"Dr." Grant is a lawyer by education. She is not the school district's lawyer. She has an administrative role in the District. She should be addressed as Mrs. Grant, not Dr. Grant. Have you EVER heard a lawyer anywhere being addressed as Dr. (last name)?

Agenda for Nov. 16 now out

Remember when the agenda for a board meeting was accompanied by an announcement that was halfway friendly?

It just laid out the information and didn't threaten anyone. Now?

Be good, boys and girls. Behave. Don't loiter. Don't protest. Don;t be loud. Don't try to socialize in the lobby at the Taj Mahal. 

And you'd better fit into that group of people who are "allowed" to speak. I say, remove the category of public officials! If they live in the District, fine. If not, why should they get preference?

Now, the one good thing is to keep a safe distance from the board of trustees. You'll notice that all EXCEPT ONE wear a mask and keep the mask on during the meeting. Teresa is special. She takes off her Darth Vader mask (I keep looking for the breathing tube) and keeps it off for far too long. 

Maybe I'll ask for a plastic protective shield in front of her, so she can't breathe on the audience.

Look at all the subjective conditions for getting kicked out: "any person attending the meeting who is out of order, loud, disruptive, making inappropriate comments, and/or a safety concern"

Who decides if a person is loud? disruptive? making "inappropriate." comments?

If I say to someone at R2i2 that Teresa Holmes and Amelia McKie should be removed from the board because they are not legitimate board members, is that an "inappropriate" comment? Even if I can prove it? If I have a copy of the state law (8-13-1110(A)) and copies of their fraudulent notarized oath-of-office documents? the documents that prove they violated the State law?

If I explain to someone at R2i2 that Holmes filed a harassment report against me at the sheriff's department and the deputy's report of her complaint contained nothing buy false statements, will I be considered disruptive? 

I'll tell you what this District needs. It needs four new board members at the November 2022 election AND a new superintendent. The board needs to return to a constituent-friendly public body. Sooner, rather than later.

Oh, say; can you hear?

Do you attend Richland 2 board meetings in-person? Can you hear all of what is said?

If you cannot hear all of what is said by board members, the superintendent or staff who answer questions from the board, will you please indicate to the board that you cannot hear?

Board members and the audience are supposed to be able to hear everything. There should be no side conversations during the meeting, just like board members are not supposed to be surfing the internet, playing Solitaire, or sending or receiving text messages or email. 

A couple of years ago I was offered a hearing assistance device. But those devices must have "grown legs" during the pandemic, because now they are nowhere to be found.

A good solution would be for the sound engineer to turn up the volume in the room. Volume on the livestream broadcast and recording is substantially better.

Or find the devices and post a sign at the room entrance that such devices are available; after they have been found. Or purchased again.

If you can't hear everything, post a comment below and send an email to Tony Kenion at   akenion@richland2.org

A Maryland Dad Steps Up

Read this story about a Maryland dad who got involved after his son's 8th Grade English class was exposed to a transgender activist's video. That video, a 2017 TED Talk, can be viewed via a link in that story.

Matt Schoenfeldt wrote, in part, "We make a practice of reviewing the health lessons at our son’s middle school, but naively never thought to look at English lessons. We were surprised by this 'lesson' openly advocating the LGBTQ+ agenda and using a trans activist’s propaganda speech disguised as English instruction."

This dad, a career military officer, sought and attained a fairly quick meeting with the principal, the teacher and a director from the school district. He refers to them as the "unwitting accomplice, the patsy, and the pusher", respectively.

The "pusher" in Richland Two would be Helen Grant, the school district's Diversity and Multicultural Inclusion Officer. How many teachers in Richland 2 would be the "patsies"?

What are your stories about challenging "Culturally Relevant Teaching" and indoctrination of Richland 2 students under the guise of "education"? More like "re-education", I'd say.

STAMPED, by Reynolds & Kendi

When I heard that the book STAMPED, by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, had been used in the Richland 2 SOAR program, I decided to read it. What's it all about?

I was familiar with Kendi's book from readings about Critical Race Theory. Since the Richland Library had four copies of it in English (I mistakenly reserved the Spanish-language copy first), that's where I got it, instead of buying a printed copy or reading it on Kindle.

That was my first good decision - not spending money buying it!

As I read on the inside flyleaf "The construct of race has always been used to gain and keep power...", I thought, "Oh, here we go." I hadn't known exactly what to expect, but that set the stage.

Then I began to read the Introduction, which is by Kendi. Kendi refers to this book as a "re-mix" of his book, Stamped from the Beginning. I thought, "Maybe I should read that one first." Kendi praises Reynolds as "one of the most gifted writers and thinkers of our time." (Page x). I thought, "Seriously?"

Then Kendi wrote, "I watched the televised and untelevised life of the shooting star of #Black Lives Matter..." (Pages x-xi) How do you watch an "untelevised" life?

Kendi wrote about the heart-breaking deaths of boys, naming Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown (Page xi), and I'm already wondering, "How am I ever going to get through this book?" And I haven't even made it to the first page yet; I'm just at the third page of the Introduction (misleadingly numbered as Page xi (that's "11", for the kids who are reading the book and don't know what "xi" means).

My opinion has been formed. This book is trash. But I'll keep reading, because I want to know why Richland 2 selected this book for any program.

Kendi referred to co-author Reynolds as "The novelist". Is this book going to be a story dressed up like it's real? 

What balance is being given to Richland 2 students? Kendi uses the word "antiracist". Does he really mean his own version of racism?